AndrewJacksonDem's blog

Please Join the Wake County Young Democrats
And many other Democratic friends

For an Evening Honoring Ms. Martha Farmer

and Presentation of the Annual P.R. Latta Volunteer of the Year Award for outstanding and lifelong commitment to grassroots activism.

http://andrewjacksondem.com

On Wednesday, June 20, 2007, several North Carolina educators visited Raleigh to "educate" the General Assembly regarding issues of teacher working conditions and the state of our schools in general. This blogger participated in this event and this blog post is dedicated to the event.

The expectation is that Senate Bill 3 "2007 Promote Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Act" will be published in the Senate Agriculture/Environment and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday. If the bill is approved at that meeting then it will be re-referred to the Senate Finance Committee for further consideration next week.

http://www.andrewjacksondem.com

Local 680 WPTF talk radio host Bill LeMay (Raleigh's very own version of Rush Limbaugh) had an interesting program yesterday afternoon that sparked quite a controversy. The issue discussed was the State of North Carolina apologizing for allowing slavery to exist inside its borders during its colonial and early years as a state in the Union. LeMay argued that there was no need for an apology because there is no one to formally apologize for this sad period of North Carolina history.

Two states, Virginia and Maryland, have passed resolutions through their state legislatures issuing formal apologies for the role their governments played by allowing slavery under their constitutions. As a southern leader of progress, it is time for the North Carolina General Assembly to do the same.

http://andrewjacksondem.com

In his State-of-the-State speech on Monday evening, Governor Mike Easley called upon the General Assembly to expand the Earn to Learn Program to include high schoolers who currently are unable to attend a college due to their location by providing internet based courses and opportunities for these students. The state of North Carolina has made the preparation of high schoolers for college a major necessity. I applaud these efforts, but as an educator who sees high schoolers on a daily basis, I am concerned that too many students are being left behind because of the increased efforts of the state to push students down the college track.

North Carolina, like other states, faces a severe situation concerning the amount of teenagers failing to finish high school by dropping out. I teach "at-risk" students who on a daily basis consider dropping out of high school for a number of reasons generally related to their lives out of school. Coupled with these home related issues is the lack of a "keeping mechanism" for these students that would compel them to finish school.

http://andrewjacksondem.com

With Jim Black gone from the scene, a serious look at the reaction of Democratic Party officials across the state must be made. Throughout this scandal, Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek, Governor Mike Easley, Lt. Gov. Bev Purdue, and the rest of the Demcrats on the Council of State refused to ask Black to step aside. Often times, these individuals used a very short measuring stick when asked about Black's political troubles brushing them off by saying, "he has done nothing illegal."

As Democrats, I am proud of our party's tradition of standing up to public corruption by seeking to uphold the trust people have placed in their elected officials. Sadly, North Carolina Democrats and their elected leaders within the party and public realm failed to act during Black's troubles, tarnishing the image of "the party of reform."

http://andrewjacksondem.com

Recent posts on Blue NC have prompted me to post this entry. North Carolina prides itself on its progressive tradition amongst its neighbors. I would be a proud Tar Heel voter if our states leaders would act to abolish the death penalty as a means of punishment in the state.

Our nation has endured because of our willingness to adapt to changes throughout our history. Courageous individuals in the mid-19th Century fought to end the institution of slavery , provided women the right-to-vote, and in the mid-20th Century Americans protested to erase the ills of Jim Crow on our nation's society.

These reforms are a few examples of many that have transpired over time to define who we are as a country. They have bettered our nation by advancing the rights of citizens.

Registration & Voting at One-Stop Sites:

“In-Person Registration”

Summary of NC House Bill 91 (Sponsored by Reps. Ross, Holliman, Parmon, Tolson)

Purpose: This bill allows a person who misses the cut-off for registration (25 days before the election) to go to a One-Stop voting site, show proper ID, register and vote. One Stop sites are open from 19 to 3 days before Election Day – the “early voting” period. All ballots in this period are retrievable (technically, they are “in-person absentee ballots”), so if a problem is found, the ballot can be pulled and not counted in the official canvass of vote totals. The State Board of Elections says the procedures in H-91 provide for “secure and accessible voting.”

What Documentation Does the Person Present?

North Carolina Young Democrats

Day at the Legislature

February 21, 2007

9am-3pm

North Carolina General Assembly

Raleigh, NC

Our mission is to advocate on behalf of young North Carolinians and to introduce our legislative priorities to the General Assembly.

http://www.andrewjacksondem.com

The 14th Amendment in the United States Constitution allows for each American citizen to receive due process of law. This principle of our democracy is of the most fundamental because it provides each American with equal access to the rights and responsibilities given to them as citizens of this great nation.

The most important responsibility for any American is to vote in each election. Our government receives its power from the consent of governed. Without participation of the people, our governing institutions lose legitimacy amongst the our people.

Each year, unfortunately, our political process seems to become more beholden to the special interests who can generate millions of dollars to buy influence with our nation's elected officials. Money is tainting our politics, causing many to abandon their civic responsibilty to vote because they feel their participation means little.